Lora Jex Appointed Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The board of directors of HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBI) (“Company”), the holding company of HomeTrust Bank (“Bank” or “HTB”), today announced that Lora Jex assumed the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer ("CRO") of both the Company and the Bank effective August 31, 2023. Ms. Jex will lead the HTB teams responsible for monitoring and mitigating risk for the Bank related to compliance, operations, balance sheet management, and strategy. As such she will have oversight of assessing and maturing HTB’s risk appetite to further advance the Bank’s enterprise risk management approach. Ms. Jex will serve as a member of the Operating Committee and report functionally to the Bank’s Audit Committee and administratively to C. Hunter Westbrook, President & Chief Executive Officer of HTB.

Jex’s experience spans over 20 years of banking and financial industry experience at institutions ranging from $3B - $30B in assets. She has demonstrated skill at formulating action plans, resolving complex situations, managing large teams, and achieving strong regulatory ratings.

“As the events of the past few years have demonstrated, risk comes at financial institutions in many different forms and directions, that now include world-wide pandemics and deposit/liquidity runs on banks. Finding a CRO who could elevate HTB’s already strong enterprise risk management culture was imperative.” says C. Hunter Westbrook, President & Chief Executive Officer. “I am eager to collaborate with Lora as HomeTrust continues to grow and serve the needs of our customers and shareholders in a prudent yet accelerated manner. Lora has the experience and skill set to lead our risk management as we navigate these uncertain times.”

Jex is a graduate of Troy State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Business Administration. Prior to joining HTB, she served as Chief Compliance Officer at Southern First Bank in Greenville, SC and at South State Bank in Columbia, SC. She has also held positions at The Savannah Bancorp, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, Crowe Chizek & Company, and Troy Bank & Trust.

About HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc.
HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for HomeTrust Bank. As of June 30, 2023, the Company had assets of $4.6 billion. The Bank, founded in 1926, is a North Carolina state chartered, community-focused financial institution committed to providing value added relationship banking with over 30 locations as well as online/mobile channels. Locations include: North Carolina (including the Asheville metropolitan area, the "Piedmont" region, Charlotte, and Raleigh/Cary), South Carolina (Greenville and Charleston), East Tennessee (including Kingsport/Johnson City, Knoxville, and Morristown), Southwest Virginia (including the Roanoke Valley) and Georgia (Greater Atlanta).